In the production of poly(arylene sulfide) polymers, poly(arylene sulfide) based deposits can form on surfaces of production equipment. In addition, a batch of poly(arylene sulfide) polymer can gel in a reactor and have to be removed. Poly(arylene sulfide) based deposits can also form during subsequent processing of the poly(arylene sulfide) polymer, such as in synthetic fiber production. Machine parts utilized in processing the poly(arylene sulfide) polymer which have poly(arylene sulfide) based deposits must be cleaned for re-use. Such parts include, but are not limited to, spinnerettes, dies, pack parts, and filters.
These poly(arylene sulfide) based deposits can be removed mechanically, but the job is tedious and time consuming. Also, attempts to remove the poly(arylene sulfide) based deposits by "burn out" procedures have been made. For example, metal parts can be placed in a furnace to remove poly(arylene sulfide) based deposits. However, this "burn out" procedure is not suitable for removing poly(arylene sulfide) based deposits from all metal parts since the burn out can cause corrosion, warping, or other problems.
There is a need in the poly(arylene sulfide) industry for an efficient process to remove poly(arylene sulfide) based deposits from articles. This invention provides such a process.